The Biorevolution Podcast (Louise von Stechow)

How will the medicine of the future look? Healthcare and medicine are on the verge of transformative change, driven by new technologies such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and wearable devices. Alongside the technologization and virtualization of medicine, there is a shift from reactive "fix the broken" approaches to preventative strategies and from one-size-fits-all treatments to personalized medicine. In this future, human healthcare professionals and machines will work hand-in-hand to deliver the best possible care, with empowered patients acting as equal decision-makers who understand and access their own healthcare data. However, a darker scenario could see medicine becoming fully industrialized and dehumanized. In episode 26 of We’re Doomed, We’re Saved, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow outline the key trends shaping the future of medicine and discuss the opportunities and risks that accompany these developments. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: alexander-sinn-KgLtFCgfC28-unsplash via Unsplash References: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0693-y?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0RAb4UU5v5896AQfVNYfdCpLi80iN7JwoZux55ffxyI9W7TMsqVPakS3M_aem_49GYkWynL_l8fmMWXq_Xlg https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/zukunftsthemen/megatrend-gesundheit https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03097-1#Sec9 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02700-1 https://ai.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/AIcs2300145 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-022-01451-7 https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMra2215899?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/167866/information-handling-some-health-apps-secure/ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1357633X211022907 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/germanys-e-health-infrastructure-strengthens-but-digital-uptake-is-lagging https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/german-e-health-offerings-expand-but-adoption-remains-uneven https://empeek.com/insights/everything-about-telemedicine-statistics-usage-trends/ https://blogs.deloitte.co.uk/health/2023/11/the-future-of-health-in-europe-digital-equitable-sustainable.html https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/life-sciences-health-care/deloitte-uk-shaping-the-future-of-european-healthcare.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-021-00522-7 https://web-assets.bcg.com/1e/74/5d14d48346bcb56a79c6e7e7ba0f/bcg-the-future-of-digital-health-2024-jan-2024-1.pdf

Biohacker experimentieren an sich selbst, führen genetische Modifikationen durch, implantieren Mikrochips und testen neue Medikamente. Dabei bewegen sie die Wissenschaft aus den Elfenbeintürmen der Universitäten hin zu privaten Laboren, Küchen und Garagen. Dies verspricht größere Chancengleichheit und neue Möglichkeiten für Innovationen in der Wissenschaft, birgt jedoch auch die Gefahr einer mangelnden Regulierung mit unvorhersehbaren Konsequenzen. In der neuen Folge von We’re doomed we’re saved besprechen Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow die Ziele und Methoden der Biohacker und stellen die Frage ob sie eine Chance ohne eine Gefahr darstellen.

Ein Jahr We're doomed we're saved - seiten einem Jahr sprechen Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow über die Themen der Biorevolution. Wir haben über Anitbiotikaresistenzen, Biowaffen, Gentherapien, Neuroprothesen und AI gesprochen. Wir hatten spannende Gäste, wie den Mathematiker und idalab Gründer Paul von Bünau, und den Forschungs- und Entwicklungschef von Sanofi Adventis Deutschland mit denen wir über die Rolle neuer Technologien wie AI für die Medikamentenentwicklung gesprochen haben. In dieser Folge lassen wir die erste Staffel Revue passieren und machen "A big announcment". Dies wird unsere vorerst letzte Deutsche Episode sein - in der neuen Staffel, ab September, werden wir uns auf Englisch unterhalten.

Die Biorevolution bringt viele neue Technologien, mit großen Versprechungen, aber auch unkalkulierbaren Risiken. In dieser Folge geben Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow einen Überblick über die Technologien der Biorevolution und sprechen über die Möglichkeit den Menschen selbst, seine Gene und sein Gehirn zu revolutionieren und über die Unmöglichkeit biologische Agenzien zu kontrollieren, die sich nicht um menschengemachte Regeln, Grenzen und ethische Bedenken kümmern. Erscheint montatlich am 1. Inhalt und Bearbeitung: Louise von Stechow und Andreas Horchler Bild: Isis França via Unsplash

Rare or orphan diseases affect only a small percentage of the population and often lack effective treatments. While rare individually, in total, more than 350 million people worldwide live with rare diseases. Many of these are very hard to diagnose, let alone cure, and the rarity of patients challenges the development of novel treatments. To make the development of drugs for rare diseases more efficient and successful, artificial intelligence could be an important ally not only for drug makers but also for patients. In episode 24 of "We’re Doomed, We’re Saved," Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss the benefits and challenges of using AI for drug development in rare diseases. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Geranimo via Unsplash

Künstliche Intelligenz könnte dabei helfen, Krankheiten zu erkennen und zu heilen, Ärzten eine schnellere oder genauere Diagnose ermöglichen, und den Prozess der Arzneimittelentwicklung effizienter, kostengünstiger und erfolgreicher machen. Gleichzeitig wirft die Verwendung von Künstlicher Intelligenz im medizinischen Bereich schwierige ethische Fragen auf. Algorithmen, die Parameter wie elektronische Patientenakten, genetische Analysen oder Marker psychiatrischer Erkrankungen zur Vorhersage menschlicher Gesundheit nutzen könnten inhärente Bias kodieren und für unethische Fragestellungen verwendet werden. In Folge 7 von We’re doomed, we’re saved besprechen Louise von Stechow und Andreas Horchler die positiven und negativen Aspekte von Künstlicher Intelligenz im Bereich der Medizin und Pharmazeutischen Industrie.

2025: For millions of people, the new year starts with the self-promise to improve, to quit smoking, alcohol, to get in shape, to stay young and attractive, to basically create and become a new me. While traditionally new year vows meant to relinquish, today there seem to be many helpers in the form of biohacking. Beginning with diets and not ending with technical devices. While there are real shortcuts and fake abbreviations to reach some of those goals, there´s also traditional ways. In "New year old me – no biohacks needed", Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler try to distinguish what´s worth trying and what to avoid. Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Lucas Favre, via Unsplash.

Modern humans are stressed creatures: overloaded schedules, constantly “on-call,” and social media haunting us into the late night. Part of this stress is maladaptive responses that date back to human history when stressors were about life and death and not about writing emails and making phone calls. A key player in those ancient responses is cortisol, a stress hormone that interacts with many biological functions, from heart rate to glucose metabolism, to inflammation and immune responses, as well as sleep and cognition. But is cortisol - as the social media proponents of the so-called cortisol detox make us believe - really the root of all our problems, and would it be desirable to get rid of stress altogether? Tune into episode 29 of We're Doomed, We're Saved and learn about the biological basis and myths surrounding stress and cortisol. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Kenny Eliason Further reading: 1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-021-01224-9 2. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.1085950/full 3. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/12/23/2726 4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34290370/ 5. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00127/full 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-023-00016-0 7. https://www.geo.de/wissen/gesundheit/cortisol-reduzieren--was-steckt-hinter-dem-gesundheitstrend--34986216.html

This time on the BioRevolution podcast: science itself. While recent surveys show persistently high trust in science worldwide, certain scientific topics have become the subject of intense societal and political debate. This politicization of science puts scientists in a difficult position when they are trying to argue based on facts. The value of facts and evidence-based science seems to be increasingly questioned by those in power and by those in control of assets. If those who make laws and regulate science don’t see evidence and consensus as reliable resources anymore, what will become of progress in biomedicine, which feeds innovation in biotech, pharma, and medicine? Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: via Photoshop AI. Further reading: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2023-04/EndlessFrontier75th_w.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-03909-2 https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/11/14/public-trust-in-scientists-and-views-on-their-role-in-policymaking/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00525-1 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8793038/ https://www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de/wie-lange-vertraut-man-uns-noch-83325/ https://www.nopatientleftbehind.org/defending-the-foundation-of-american-science https://theweek.com/science/distrust-science-politics-2024-public-trust-vaccines-milk-pandemic https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11004618/ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00238-x https://www.forbes.com/sites/innovationrx/2025/02/19/innovationrx-recursion-launches-fund-for-biotech-startups-hit-by-nih-funding-cuts/

Aging is a dynamic process characterized by the accumulation of cell damage, tissue, and organ degeneration, and diminished function. This process of decline appears to be an inevitable aspect of human existence. In recent years, however, advancements in scientific understanding of aging bring us closer to extending the human lifespan. With their guests, Dr. Jürgen Reess and Prof. Hartmut Geiger, founders of Moglingbio, Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler explore the complex science underlying the process of aging and the challenges faced by the budding longevity industry. They talk about the potential for rejuvenating aged cells in human tissues and the ethical considerations of extending the human lifespan. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Image: Marcelo Leal via Unsplash References: Theories and Hallmarks of Aging 1. https://www.afar.org/imported/AFAR_INFOAGING_GUIDE_THEORIES_OF_AGING_2016.pdf 2. https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/the-evolution-of-aging-23651151/ 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-022-00513-5 4. https://www.cell.com/fulltext/S0092-8674(13)00645-4 5. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-022-00335-4 6. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/magazine/global-life-span.html Life-prolonging treatments and Cell Rejuvenation 1. https://www.science.org/content/article/feature-man-who-wants-beat-back-aging 2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00416-y 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04282-9 4. https://dogagingproject.org/triad 5. https://www.dvcstem.com/post/anti-aging-stem-cells 6. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-marrow-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117 7. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-warns-about-stem-cell-therapies 8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27286740/ 9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-023-01343-5 10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9023768/ 11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35859206/ 12. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41536-022-00275-y 13. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00528-5 14. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01923-y 15. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00373-6 The longevity industry 1. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/life-sciences-and-health-care/articles/longevity-science.html 2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/05/03/will-you-live-to-200-five-levels-of-breakthroughs-in-longevity-research-you-must-know-about/ 3. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/may/02/could-we-make-aging-a-thing-of-the-past 4. https://longevity.technology/news/unity-cuts-lead-program-after-clinical-trial-fail/ 5. https://longevity.technology/news/global-longevity-investment-hit-5-2-billion-in-2022/ 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41587-022-00002-4 7. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexzhavoronkov/2023/09/16/what-is-a-longevity-biotechnology-company/?sh=4d4ac9a7702a 8. https://venturebeat.com/business/the-brains-behind-calico-bill-maris-of-google-ventures/ 9. https://spannr.com/articles/longevity-industry-introduction#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20longevity%20industry%3F%20The%20longevity%20industry,promote%20healthy%20aging%20and%20improve%20quality%20of%20life. 10. https://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/03/tech/innovation/google-calico-aging-death/index.html

Some 36 months after the release of ChatGPT, the verdict is still out on the role that large language models (LLMs) will play in biotech, pharma, and medicine. On paper, the range of tasks that LLMs can perform in biomedical research and healthcare is vast—excavating relevant information for drug discovery from mountains of scientific literature, designing novel proteins, transcribing doctors' notes, aiding diagnostic decision-making, and acting as patient-facing chatbots. But given the models’ propensity to hallucinate, we need to define how much error we can tolerate for different LLM use cases in the biomedical fields and create evaluation frameworks that allow us to apply the models confidently. In some cases, it might turn out that the time spent for human supervision of the model will outweigh the efficiency gain. In episode 25 of We’re doomed we’re saved we talk to idalab founder and mathematician, Paul von Bünau we discuss the promise and challenges of LLMs in the biomedical field and ask the question if we can ever stop them from hallucinating. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: jo-coenen-studio-dries-2-6-yST9mzlMVLQ via Unsplash References: Excavating scientific literature 1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-023-01788-7 2. https://idalab.de/insights/how-large-language-models-excavate-crucial-information-to-scale-drug-discovery 3. https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/nucleic-acids/fulltext/S2162-2531(23)00222-6#secsectitle0015 Unburdening Healthcare 1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02700-1 2. https://medium.com/mantisnlp/applications-of-llms-in-patient-care-83e07548dbb1#:~:text=Applications%20of%20LLMs%20in%20Patient%20Care%201%201.,6%206.%20Personalized%20Health%20Plans%20and%20Coaching%20 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02700-1 4. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.16416 5. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46411-8 6. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00330-023-10213-1 7. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00330-023-10213-1 8. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00330-023-10213-1 9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03097-1#Sec9 Reading molecular language 1. https://academic.oup.com/bioinformatics/article/36/4/1234/5566506 2. https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.03598 3. https://resources.nvidia.com/en-us-hc-biopharma/hc-solution-overview-5 4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-024-02201-0#author-information 5. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ginkgo-bioworks-and-google-cloud-partner-to-build-next-generation-ai-platform-for-biological-engineering-and-biosecurity-301912283.html 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-61124-0 7. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-022-01618-2 8. https://www.biopharmatrend.com/post/835-14-companies-pioneering-ai-foundation-models-in-pharma-and-biotech/ 9. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.11.523679v1 10. https://bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12859-024-05847-x 11. https://bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12859-024-05847-x 12. https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.04197 13. https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.07621

Seit Anbeginn der Menschheit beschäftigt uns die Frage, warum wir altern, warum wir sterben müssen. In der neuen Folge von We’re doomed, we’re saved besprechen Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow den neuesten biomedizinische Forschungstand zum Thema Altern und stellen die Frage ob sich das Altern verlangsamen, ja sogar aufhalten lassen wird? Wie sähe eine Welt aus, in der die Menschen 150 Jahre oder noch älter werden – was würde ein verlängertes Leben für die Art wie wir leben, lieben und arbeiten, für die Dinge, die uns wichtig sind und für unseren überstrapazierten Planeten bedeuten? Wir nehmen den Der Traum vom längeren Leben unter die Lupe und enden mit der Frage – „Who wants to live forever?“

Biowaffen haben zum Glück in der Geschichte der Menschheit nur selten Anwendung gefunden – sind sie doch zu unkontrollierbar. Doch mit den Technologien der Biorevolution eröffnen sich neue Möglichkeiten in der Herstellung schädlicher biologischer Agenzien – mit böser Intention von Staaten, Terroristen und sogenannten Biohackern, doch auch wohlmeinenden und unbedachten Wissenschaftlern. In dieser Folge sprechen Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow über die Geschichte der Biowaffen, über neue Möglichkeiten und alte Ängste.

Antibiotika wurden einst als Heilbringer der Menschheit gefeiert und haben dazu beigetragen die durchschnittliche Lebenserwartung zu erhöhen. Doch schon in den frühen Tagen warnte der Finder des Penicillins Sir Alexander Fleming vor dem unbedachten und verschwenderischen Umgang mit diesen Wundermedikamenten. In dieser Folge beleuchten Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow die weltweite Gesundheitskrise, die von antibiotikaresistenten Bakterien hervorgerufen wird und besprechen ihre Ursachen und potentielle Gegenmaßnahmen. Inhalt und Bearbeitung: Louise von Stechow und Andreas Horchler Bild: CDC via Unsplash

The rapid spread of humans is causing many species to disappear off the face of the earth – in a so-called mass extinction. Some scientists are trying to reverse this process, by bringing back extinct species, such as the Dodo, the Passenger Pigeon, or the Wolly Mammoth. In the 14th episode of We’re doomed, we’re saved Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss the breeding procedures and genetic engineering techniques that might be used for brining back extinct animals. We also discuss the ethical implications from resource waste to animal welfare – and what it might mean to be the first and the last member of a (de)extinct species.

Women make up about half of humanity. Yet, the medical community and the pharmaceutical and biotech industries have long adopted an androcentric view of disease biology and healthcare needs, perceiving women as a specialized or atypical demographic—outliers. In episode 20 of "We're Doomed, We're Saved," we talk to two biotech experts, Catenion's Dr. Ana Rita Da Costa and Dr. Pascal Joly, to discuss how the biotech industry and healthcare community slowly, but steadily, change and adapt to the needs of half of their customers: women.

Polygenic risk scores (PRS), put simply, look at gene variants across the human genome in order to determine an individual's risk of getting a disease, from different types of cancer to type II diabetes. PRS could complement current risk prediction models and lead to a more accurate risk prediction. However, for PRS to become a useful clinical instrument, transparent ways to assess their performance and careful communication of disease risks to individuals are key. In episode 22 of We’re doomed we’re saved, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow speak to two PRS researchers, who contributed to the international and interdisciplinary, EU-funded INTERVENE project. Brooke Wolford, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the HUNT Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Kristi Läll, a researcher in statistical genetics at Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, share their expertise on PRSs and discuss the potential of PRSs in the clinic and pinpoint strategies for addressing biases in PRS. Learn more about IINTERVENE here: INTERVENE is coordinated by the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland at the University of Helsinki. The project includes 17 research and other organizations from 10 countries. Learn more about INTERVENE here: https://www.interveneproject.eu/ You can read more about Brooke at https://bnwolford.github.io/ Also check out recent publications here: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.20.23298215v1 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.12.23291186v1 Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Acton Crawford via Unsplash

When the Swiss chemist synthesized and tested the psychedelic compound LSD in the 1930s, he knew he had found a tool to explore the human mind. Indeed, before psychedelics became illegal in the late 1960s, a mountain of evidence had been produced, showing potential benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. After a decades-long hiatus, research on psychedelics as a treatment for psychiatric diseases is experiencing a renaissance—and initial results look promising. While the field has seen a setback with the recent request for more data by the FDA for the approval of MDMA for PTSD, research into different psychedelic compounds continues, promising new hopes to battle worldwide mental health crises. In the newest episode of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss the history, the promise, and the risks of psychedelics as treatments for psychiatric diseases with neuroscientist, psychedelics expert, and executive coach Galyna Pidpruzhnykova https://www.linkedin.com/in/galynapidpruzhnykova/ https://www.galynapipdpruzhnykova.com/ Galyna also outlines her efforts to develop a psychedelics strategy to battle the mental health crisis in Ukraine, where the Ministry of Health published a draft law for research on psychedelic compounds just a few days after we recorded this podcast. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7308180815761330176/ Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow

Synthetic biology - the artificial creation of biological molecules, cells, and even organisms - has the potential to revolutionize biotechnology and agriculture, allowing for the creation of novel biomaterials and fuels, opening new opportunities for DNA-based information storage and computation, and even aiding in the exploration and colonization of space. The first synthetic bacterium was created about ten years ago, and since then, the technologies supporting synthetic biology have become faster, cheaper, and more innovative. With the assistance of artificial intelligence, synthetic biology could unlock vast potential, recognized by various industries. Synthetic biology could also enable bad actors to create harmful microbes.

Gene editing technology allows humans, for the first time, to change the code of life with a precise editing system offering the potential for curing genetic diseases. The gene editing field is moving with impressive speed: after the seminal paper on the technology was published in 2012, the Nobel Prize awarded for the technology in 2020, and the first therapy approved for treatment of blood diseases in 2023. In this episode of We’re doomed, we’re saved Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow, discuss the tremendous potential of the technology, but also its darker side – the high cost of the therapeutic applications and the potential for augmenting, altering, and redesigning human genomes.

Sogenannte Gene Drives sind spezielle Genveränderungsmethoden, die es Wissenschaftlern zum ersten Mal erlauben die Grenzen der klassischen Evolution nach Darwin zu sprengen und ihr Grundprinzip, die natürliche Selektion zu überwinden, in dem sie die Expression in allen Nachkommen erzwingen. In dieser Episode unterhalten sich Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow darüber wie Gene Drives in der Malariaprävention, in der Bewahrung bedrohter Arten und zur Erhöhung von Ernteerträgen eingesetzt werden könnten – und wie gefährlich diese Technologie in der Hand eines einzelnen Wissenschaftlers sein kann.

Follow the money, folge dem Geld, ist eine alte Weisheit wenn man den Kern einer Angelegenheit verstehen will. In der 12. Folge von We're doomed we're saved folgen wir diesem Weg zu den Geldquellen der Biomedizinischen Forschung, zu Regierungszuschüssen, großen Pharmaunternehmen und privaten Stiftungen, wie der Bill und Melinda Gates Foundation, die ganze Forschungszweige quasi im Alleingang finanziert. Solche privaten Geldgeber haben besonders in den USA einen großen Einfluss auf die Forschungslandschaft, obwohl ihre Auswahlkriterien und Transparenz umstritten sind und die Verbindung von Wissenschaftlern und reichen Technokraten das Vertrauen in die Wissenschaft verringern kann. Von und mit Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow

Gentherapien und Geneditierungsverfahren versprechen die Heilung von Krankheiten von Hämophilie bis Krebs. Sie erlauben aber auch genetische Upgrades – die uns schneller, schlauer und schöner machen könnten. In dieser Folge unterhalten sich Andreas Horchler und Louise von Stechow über die Möglichkeiten die Gentherapien und die neuentdeckte Technologie CRISPR-Cas bieten, welche klinischen Erfolge erzielt wurden und welche ethischen Konsequenzen diese Methoden mit sich bringen.

Wie werden neue Technologien, wie die künstliche Intelligenz die Pharmaindustrie beeinflussen? Welche neuen Modelle werden die Blockbuster der Vergangenheit ablösen? In dieser Folge sprechen wir mit unserem Gast Professor Jochen Maas, Geschäftsführer Forschung & Entwicklung der Sanofi-Aventis, Deutschland GMBH über die Zukunft der Pharmaindustrie

In our data-heavy age, data becomes a treasure, a currency, a valuable good. This is true especially for the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, where data can inform the development of novel drugs. But should own biomedical data – and where should the lines between privacy and patient benefit be drawn? In the new episode of We’re doomed, we’re saved, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss new strategies of data sharing and ownership in biomedicine and pharma.

Science can be complex and difficult to grasp, yet public understanding is crucial for navigating issues like disease risk, climate change, and pandemics. Clear, engaging science communication can help prevent misinformation and conspiracy theories, offering facts in place of myths. But how can we make science more digestible and appealing? Counterintuitively, it might be less facts and more emotions that can help to make science more appealing, more impactful – both when communicating to the public and to fellow scientists. In episode 28 of We’re doomed, We’re saved, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss strategies for scientific storytelling, drawing on principles that go back to ancient Greece and draw from modern brain science. Spoiler: It´s not as hard as it may look. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: bernard-hermant-qTpc0Vj4YoE-unsplash via Unsplash Further reading: Cron, Lisa: "Wired for story, The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence" Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 2012 Gallo, Carmine: "Talk like Ted" Main Market Edition, 2022

In some respects, 2024 has been a record year for AI in biotech, with the $1 billion founding of the antibody-centered biotech company Xaira and the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to DeepMind researchers Demis Hassabis, John Jumper, and David Baker. However, despite years of investment and innovation, we still lack an answer to the most pressing question: Will AI revolutionize drug development, or are we in a bubble that is about to burst? In episode 30 of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow explore various use cases for AI in biotech—from discovery to clinical development, from chemistry to biology, and from data-centric to algorithm-centric AI strategies—trying to assess where the biggest payoff will be. Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Lucas Favre, via Unsplash. Further reading: 1. OpenAI has created an AI model for longevity science | MIT Technology Review 2. https://www.techlifesci.com/p/a-google-maps-of-human-cells 3. https://www.cas.org/resources/cas-insights/scientific-breakthroughs-2025-emerging-trends-watch#:~:text=Scientific%20breakthroughs%3A%202025%20emerging%20trends%20to%20watch%201,7%20Quantum%20computing%20getting%20practical%20...%20Weitere%20Elemente 4. Biotech Stocks Prepare For Action In 2025. Weight-Loss Drugs, AI And Trump 2.0 Are The Catalysts. | Investor's Business Daily 5. Regeneron CSO George Yancopoulos on AI’s hype and potential 6. Science in 2025: the events to watch for in the coming year 7. Artificial intelligence and obesity management: An Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) Clinical Practice Statement (CPS) 2023 - PMC 8. Novo Nordisk expands AI partnership with Valo Health for development of obesity drugs | Reuters 9. Profluent Unveils OpenCRISPR-1, an AI-Designed Gene Editor 10. OpenAI has created an AI model for longevity science | MIT Technology Review 11. Clinical trial trends in 2025: Investments, wearables, and AI 12. What will be the key trends in AI innovation in the Pharmaceutical Industry in 2025? 13. Deep Genomics Introduces the Most Advanced AI Foundation Model for RNA Disease Mechanisms and Candidate Therapeutics | Deep Genomics 14. U of T researchers develop new approach using quantum computers to accelerate drug discovery | Temerty Faculty of Medicine 15. Quantum-computing-enhanced algorithm unveils potential KRAS inhibitors | Nature Biotechnology 16. What are AI 'world models,' and why do they matter? | TechCrunch 17. Empowering biomedical discovery with AI agents: Cell 18. https://youtu.be/CWEWBgVwFc8?si=dqLn2_qGflGf19xL 19. Virtual lab powered by ‘AI scientists’ super-charges biomedical research 20. A New Kid On the Block: AI World Models In Biotech 21. 2025 AI Trends: Life Sciences Leaders on Data, Digital and AI | ZS 22. Scaling gen AI in the life sciences industry | McKinsey 23. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-quantum-ai/ 24. Key takeaways from FDA’s draft guidance on use of AI in drug and biological life cycle | DLA Piper 25. Navigating the EU AI Act: implications for regulated digital medical products | npj Digital Medicine 26. Isomorphic Labs CEO Demis Hassabis bets on biotech’s AI future 27. De novo designed proteins neutralize lethal snake venom toxins | Nature 28. A policy framework for leveraging generative AI to address enduring challenges in clinical trials | npj Digital Medicine 29. TrialGPT: NIH algorithm uses AI to match patients to clinical trials | Association of Health Care Journalists 30. The promise and perils of synthetic data | TechCrunch 31. Profluent | Edit

In the expensive and failure-prone process of drug development, artificial intelligence (AI) can serve both as an efficiency tool and as a creativity tool. Increased efficiency means shorter timelines, reduced investment, and earlier insights into success or failure. This can lead to more opportunities to bring new drugs to patients. Increased creativity means exploring new areas in drug discovery and development, such as identifying new patterns in targets, drug molecules, and patient populations that may be unintelligible to the human eye. While we are witnessing the first tangible milestones of AI in drug development, the hype in the field can lead to inflated expectations of its benefits. To assess the true potential of the technology, we must also recognize its challenges, such as the algorithms' "black box" nature, their propensity for hallucination, and data bias. Only by being transparent about both the potential and the limitations of AI can we increase the trust of drug developers—and most importantly, our customers: patients. Listen to episode 27 of We’re Doomed, We’re Saved to learn more about the potential of AI for pharma and biotech. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: ej-strat-VjWi56AWQ9k-unsplashvia Unsplash References: 1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02361-0 2. https://www.wired.com/2016/03/two-moves-alphago-lee-sedol-redefined-future/ 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02896-9 4. https://www.nature.com/articles/d43747-024-00084-w 5. https://www.nature.com/articles/d43747-024-00084-w 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/d43747-024-00084-w 7. https://endpts.com/the-endpoints-slack-interview-siddhartha-mukherjee-on-the-doctor-writer-worldview-ai-and-the-future-of-cancer/ 8. https://endpts.com/the-endpoints-slack-interview-siddhartha-mukherjee-on-the-doctor-writer-worldview-ai-and-the-future-of-cancer/ 9. https://hbr.org/2024/05/ais-trust-problem

When we think about revolutions, we think of systemic changes in politics, economics, and lifestyles. Revolutions transform how we live, work, interact, and communicate. In the past, political uprisings and new technologies, from the steam engine to the smartphone, have led to such transformative changes. Now, a revolution driven by novel biotechnologies (gene editing, neuroprosthetics, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence in biotech) has the potential to not only change the way we live but the very foundations of our lives – our biology. But is the so-called biorevolution a real "scientific revolution"? In the new episode of "We're Doomed, We're Saved," Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow look at the biorevolution from different angles, examining its transformative potential and comparing it to revolutions that came before. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Acton Crawford via Unsplash

RNA, one of the oldest and most versatile biomolecules, has recently entered the therapeutic arena. While for many observers the success of mRNA vaccines seemed to come out of the blue, its build on the fundament of research that has large gone ignored. Now mRNA therapeutics are enjoying the limelight of great economic success for companies like BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna, and the awarding of the 2023 Nobel Prize to two mRNA researchers. But with the fame also comes a huge public backlash of anti-vaxxers who fear the perceived novelty of mRNAs. In the 19th episode of We're doomed, we're saved Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler talk with their guest, mRNA researcher Lucia Lapazio who has known the field before and after the hype.

In principle the solution to the problem of overweight should be very easy:eat less and exercise more.But anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight – so probably almost anyone – will be able to testify that things are not as simple. So now Ozempic enters the scene, a diabetes drug that looks like a gamechanger in the big business of weight loss. In episode 18 of We're doomed we're saved, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss the history of weight loss pills and the medical and cultural reasons why we (think we) need to be thin.

ChatGPT, das Large Language Model von OpenAI ist in aller Munde. Von Untergangsszenarien in denen der Mensch und seine Arbeitsleistung als obsolet erklärt werden, über Lehrende, die sich fragen, wie sie Seminararbeiten bewerten sollen, bis hin zur Frage menschlicher und maschineller Kreativität – ChatGPT bewegt uns alle. In der neuen Folge von We’re doomed we’re saved besprechen Louise von Stechow und Andreas Horchler welche Auswirkungen ChatGPT und andere Large Language Modelle für den Gesundheit Sektor und die Biotech und Pharma Industrie haben könnten und ob sie gar dabei helfen können den Code des Lebens zu verstehen oder sogar umzuschreiben. Unterstützt werden sie dabei zum ersten Mal von einem Gast, Paul von Bünau, Mathematiker und Gründer der Firma idalab, die sich auf künstliche Intelligenzlösungen für die Biotech Industrie spezialisiert.

Prothesen, die mit dem Nervensystem verbundenen werden, können Menschen mit Einschränkungen helfen verlorene Mobilität und Sensorik zurückzuerlangen. Exoskelette und robotische Körperteile helfen Querschnittsgelähmten beim Gehen und Greifen. Cochleaimplantate und bionische Augen geben Tauben und Blinden ihre Sinne zurück. Hirn-Computer-Schnittstellen ermöglichen es Gehirnaktivitäten zu messen, zu interpretieren, und Gedanken in Befehle umzuwandeln, die von externen Geräten ausgeführt werden. Doch ist das schon das Ende? Technologische Neurungen in der Neuroprothetik und künstliche Intelligenz könnten es uns schon bald erlauben unsere Sinne und Gehirne auf ein neues Level zu heben, mit übermenschlichem Seh- oder Hörvermögen und dem Internet als kollektivem Gedächtnis. In Folge 6 von We’re doomed, we’re saved besprechen wir die Möglichkeiten menschlicher Upgrades und diskutieren, wie das Zeitalter der Cyborgs aussehen könnte, für diejenigen die ihren Körper und Geist mit der Maschine verschmelzen wollen und denjenigen die es nicht wollen, oder es sich nicht leisten können.